Testing regular expressions by RegexTester.pybrowsing

this is a little python script which can be used to TEST regular expressions,
hence the name RegexTester, by providing immediate visual results. Best used if
document which needs to be scanned has just a few lines - enough to test the regex.

Open a new empty document and move it to the other view (View->Move…->Move to other view)
You can use it side by side, I prefer both views as top and bottom

Run Plugins->Python Script->Scripts->NAME_OF_YOUR_SCRIPT

How it should be use.

You’ll see, that the second view shows a status message in line 3.
It is important, that you don’t delete/modify this line, otherwise you loose the
information whether regex tester is active and in which document it has been
activate. One place can be modified, the [i] can became a [I] to toggle case sesitive.

Line 1 of the second view, is where you write your regular expressions
Line 2 (not yet used - for future use)

While typing your regex, the document in editor1 will constantly be updated about the matches.

If there are sub matches, the “main” match gets colored without outlining, sub matches are outlined.
For a better differentiation of “main” matches they get colored differently.

Example:

The script was inspired by the regex101.com site and the old regex tester plugin.

Normally, the script should use the same regex syntax as npp does but if you find
something which can be done using npp but not using the script it would be nice to
let me know. Code itself has comments as well.

One word of warning - I wouldn’t use it to scan big files, it might take
some time before the document gets colored.

Enough said, I guess - so, have fun ;-)

import re # import regular expression module
editor1.indicSetStyle(10,INDICATORSTYLE.CONTAINER) # used to color whole match - odd lines
editor1.indicSetFore(10,(95,215,184)) # the color
editor1.indicSetAlpha(10,55) # alpha settings
editor1.indicSetOutlineAlpha(8,255) # outlining
editor1.indicSetUnder(10,True) # draw under the text
editor1.indicSetStyle(9,INDICATORSTYLE.CONTAINER) # used to color whole match - even lines
editor1.indicSetFore(9,(195,215,184))
editor1.indicSetAlpha(9,55)
editor1.indicSetOutlineAlpha(8,255)
editor1.indicSetUnder(9,True)
editor1.indicSetStyle(8,INDICATORSTYLE.ROUNDBOX) # used for sub matches
editor1.indicSetFore(8,(100,215,100))
editor1.indicSetAlpha(8,55)
editor1.indicSetOutlineAlpha(8,255)
editor1.indicSetUnder(8,True)
isOdd = False # used as even/odd line identifier
def match_found(m):
global isOdd # global, because we modify it
if m.lastindex > 0: # >0 = how many submatches do we have
for i in range(0, m.lastindex + 1): # loop over it
if i == 0: # match 0 is always the whole match
editor1.setIndicatorCurrent(9 if isOdd else 10) # set indicator for whole match
editor1.indicatorFillRange(m.span(0)[0], m.span(0)[1] - m.span(0)[0]) # draw indicator
isOdd = False if isOdd else True # set even/odd identifier - next whole match gets coloured different
else:
editor1.setIndicatorCurrent(8) # set indicator for sub matches
editor1.indicatorFillRange(m.span(i)[0], m.span(i)[1] - m.span(i)[0]) # draw it
else: # no sub matches
editor1.setIndicatorCurrent(8) # set the same indicator as normally used in sub matches
editor1.indicatorFillRange(m.span(0)[0], m.span(0)[1] - m.span(0)[0]) # guess what :-) yes, draw it
def clear_indicator(): # clear all indicators by
length = editor1.getTextLength() # calculating length of document
for i in range(8,11): # and looping over
editor1.setIndicatorCurrent(i) # each indicator to
editor1.indicatorClearRange(0,length) # clear the range
def regex(): # here the regex starts
clear_indicator() # first have a clear view ;-)
pattern = editor2.getLine(0).rstrip() # next, get the pattern for the second view and cut of line endings
try: # try it
if editor2.getLine(2)[22:23] == 'I': # is it a case insensitive search?
editor1.research(pattern, match_found, re.IGNORECASE) # then call research with the ignore case flag
else: # otherwise
editor1.research(pattern, match_found) # call without flag
except:
pass # is needed to catch incorrect regular expressions
def RegexTester_CHARADDED(args): # callback which gets called each time when char is added in editor
regex() # calls itself regex function
def RegexTester_UPDATEUI(args): # callback gets called and emulates a CHARDELETE notification
if args['updated'] == 3: # is a bit of a hack but
regex() # seems to work
if editor2.getProperty('RegexTester_running') != '1': # if the script isn't currently running
editor.callback(RegexTester_CHARADDED, [SCINTILLANOTIFICATION.CHARADDED]) # register the callbacks charadd
editor.callback(RegexTester_UPDATEUI, [SCINTILLANOTIFICATION.UPDATEUI]) # and emulated chardelete
if editor2.getProperty('RegexTester_running') == '0': # this checks if script was already running, stopped and restarted again
editor2.replace('RegexTester inActive', 'RegexTester isActive') # add the status info to second view
else: # no, this is the first time we run the script so
editor2.appendText('\r\n\r\nRegexTester isActive [i] i=sensitive, I=insesitive') # add the status info to second view
editor2.setProperty('RegexTester_running', '1') # and set the running identifier
editor2.setFocus(True) # give the second view the focus
editor2.gotoLine(0) # and jump to line 1
else: # the script runs already so this call is used to
editor.clearCallbacks([SCINTILLANOTIFICATION.CHARADDED]) # clear the callback charadded and
editor.clearCallbacks([SCINTILLANOTIFICATION.UPDATEUI]) # emulated chardeleted
editor2.setProperty('RegexTester_running', '0') # set info that script isn't running
editor2.replace('RegexTester isActive', 'RegexTester inActive') # add the status info to second view
clear_indicator() # clear all indicators
editor1.setFocus(True) # and give first view the focus. Have fun

First of all, how to stop your script ?! May be, I miss something obvious !

Once, after an N++ re-start, I ran Regex Tester.py, but I omitted to open, before, a new document and to move it in the secondary view. Doing that, afterwards, I was surprised to get two tabs New 1 in the secondary view !

When using the End of Line characters syntax ( \R, \r or \n) in a regex, they are not highlighted, even if the button Show All characters is set. However, the regex .\R. does highlight the last character of a line and the first character of the next line :-)

Let’s consider the subject string aabaaababbbaabbab On the picture, below, just under each regex, I indicated, first, the way your script highlights and outlines the matches, then, a new highlighting and outlining, just below. What do you think of, Claudia ? I don’t even know if it’s technically possible and not too hard to code !

But, please Claudia, take all your time, as it seems that you do hundred things, at the same time !!

First of all, how to stop your script ?! May be, I miss something obvious !

Obviously I missed that :- (
Make sure editor2 and the tab where RegexTester isActive… has the focus and then run it a second time.
Text will change to RegexTester inActive…
If you accidentally run it in another tab a second time you need to call it in that tab again.
This isn’t really user friendly and I’m thinking about having a solution like first run of script activates, second run deactivates, regardless
where you execute it.

Once, after an N++ re-start, I ran Regex Tester.py, but I omitted to open, before, a new document and to move it in the secondary view.
Doing that, afterwards, I was surprised to get two tabs New 1 in the secondary view !

Ooopss - don’t think that my script is responsible but will take a look

When using the End of Line characters syntax ( \R, \r or \n) in a regex, they are not highlighted, even if the button Show All characters is set.
However, the regex .\R. does highlight the last character of a line and the first character of the next line :-)

Yes, I discovered this as well. It looks like scintilla/npp doesn’t allow me to color/access it.

Let’s consider the subject string aabaaababbbaabbab On the picture, below, just under each regex, I indicated, first, the way your script highlights and outlines the matches, then, a new highlighting and outlining, just below. What do you think of, Claudia ? I don’t even know if it’s technically possible and not too hard to code !

Obviously I cannot divide the letters but I see what you mean, I’ll think about it, should be possible.

I saw you reply on the regex /v topic, damned, missed that /v and [/v] have different meanings. Thx for clarifying it - AGAIN. ;-)

OK , after having focus on the new 1 tab again and choosing the option Plugins - Python Script - Run Previous Script (Regex Tester), I got, as expected, the text RegexTester inActive… and all the highlighting was suppressed ! But, why the option Plugins - Python Script - Stop script is greyed ?

in regards to the two new1 documents, npp does this in the background.
When you start npp with only one view open, npp already has opened a new1 document in second view.
If you don’t access it, it gets deleted/replaced by the one which you move to the second view.

E.g.
New start of npp with one view result in one document named new1 which is visible.
Another new1 document is available in second view but currently invisible.
If you open another new document -> new2 appears but if you move this to second view,
new1 from second view gets replaced, and only if it hasn’t been touched in the meantime,
by new2 document. Not sure if this expected but doesn’t harm anyway.

In regards to the sensitive switch, yes, you could use any letter as I’m checking for I (Capital i)only ;-)

Got plenty of things to do at work, this week and I couldn’t find enough time and motivation to be on forums ! Even yesterday, I rebuilt a server, till 9.30 pm, whose hard disk was definitively dead, without any possibility of restoring ! ( So, please, don’t forget to backup your important files, from time to time ! One never knows ! )

Let’s go back, Claudia, to your second version of your Regex Tester Python script. Awesome, you did it ! Not only, it works perfectly well, but I suppose that the re Python’s module don’t have the issues than our present Boost regex version has :-)) Finally, your plugin behaves exactly as the non-official François-R Boyer regex engine does:-)

For instance, if we consider the subject string aabaaababbbaabbab, of my previous post, and the regex (?<!a)ba*, the correct results are :

1st match b, at position 10

2nd match baa, at positions 11, 12 and 13

3rd match ba, at positions 15 and 16

That is exactly the matches found with your script, as shown below :

With the classical regex search, we get 5 matches. But two of them are wrong : the b at position 14 and at position 17

A second example. From that link, below, you’ll see the 40 characters of the Osmanya alphabet, in the range [\x{10480}-\x{104AF}], which are, obviously, outside the Unicode BMP Plane

With an appropriate font ( Andagii ) set to Default Style of Global Styles , on the picture below, you’ll see that the regex [\x{10485}-\x{104A3}] does find the correct consecutive characters, with the Regex Tester script , UNLIKE the classical regex search, which leads to the error message Invalid regular expression :-((

many many thx for doing all your tests and efforts. Very much appreciated.
Unfortunately your test means that my script failed as I was expecting that I can use
it to test functionlist more easily. :-(
(I already discovered that functionlist regex behaves strange sometimes but now… - YOUUUU broke it ;-))) kidding.

In regards to the François-R Boyer regex implementation I’m on a good way I think.
Currently boost regex supports two ways of implementing unicode awareness.
Relying on wchar_t, which is how Don implemented it and by using unicode aware regular expression types like François did.

So, at the moment, I don’t see how I could merge both codes reasonably, that’s why I started to use François’s code to replace Dons implementation.

I did the tests, of my previous post, with a 6.8.8 version, where I has, previously installed the Python plugin. I decided to verify if S/R are faster or not, with the François-R Boyer version, on the last 6.9.1 N++ version. And there’s a bad new, indeed !

The François-R Boyer regex engine, included in his SciLexer.dll version, does NOT work, with the last 6.9.1 version of N++ :-((

I verified that it’s OK with the 6.9 version, and the previous versions of Notepad++

sorry for answering so late - I had a day off - mostly bicycling and enjoying the nice weather.
I thought since upgrading scintilla this lib wasn’t working anymore!!??
Because of that I didn’t test it - I will give the original code a try and see what it is complaining about.